Armed Forces: Compensation

Andrew McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the total amount of compensation paid out under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme was in each year since 2005-06 to date;
	(2)  how many Armed Forces Compensation Scheme applications were approved in each year since 2005-06 to date;
	(3)  how many Armed Forces Compensation Scheme applications have been made in each year since 2005-06 to date.

Mark Francois: The number of Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) applications made and awarded in each financial year since 2005-06 is shown in the following table. This also provides the total amount of compensation paid under the scheme for the same period. The data includes claims made by serving or former service personnel and surviving dependants.
	
		
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Number of claims 365 1,660 3,540 5,125 6,180 7,335 8,815 4,215 
			 Total amount paid (£ million) 1.274 6.158 13.067 33.490 34.183 59.515 141.477 51.400 
			 Number of claims awarded 85 615 1,320 2,060 2,930 3,940 3,970 1,565 
			 Notes: 1. Includes data up to 30 September 2012. 2. The total cost figures for FY 2012-13 include payments up to 31 December 2012. 3. Figures provided for claims made and awarded in FY 2010-11 to FY 2012-13 are provisional. Some claims do not yet have an outcome, and may become spanning cases subsequently i.e. any injuries/illnesses that have occurred before 6 April 2005 are considered under the War Pension Scheme. 4. The large increase in payments during FY 2011-12 is due to additional payments made as a result of implementing the recommendations of Lord Boyce’s review into the AFCS. 5. Figures have been rounded where appropriate.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  by which legal process he proposes to make changes to the prerogative instruments under which the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 75 was set up;
	(2)  if he will place copies of all correspondence and e-mails relating to the proposals to amend the Royal Prerogative Instruments governing Armed Forces Pension Scheme 75 in order that the scheme can be closed in 2015 with all members compulsory migrated to AFPS 2015, including any relevant correspondence with the Royal Household or Privy Council;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence and e-mails relating to the proposals to amend the prerogative instruments governing the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) 75 in order that the scheme can be closed in 2015 with all members compulsory migrated to AFPS 2015.

Andrew Murrison: The Public Service Pensions Bill is currently passing through Parliament. It sets out the new arrangements for the creation of schemes for the payment of pensions and other benefits. It also protects the benefits already earned by members of existing public service pension schemes and allows continued membership of those schemes for certain categories of people who are closest to retirement. The provisions of this Bill, once enacted, will bind any existing law, including the Prerogative Instruments. In particular, clause 3 of the Bill permits scheme regulations made under clause 1 to amend, in certain circumstances, other legislation, and clause 18(8) explicitly allows transitional measures to be made by amending the existing schemes.
	We will not place the requested correspondence and e-mails in the Library of the House because it relates to internal discussions and the formulation of policy. However, any amendments to the current legislation will be laid before Parliament with copies placed in the Library of the House.

Defence: Research

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commit to increased spending on defence science and technology, and research and development.

Philip Dunne: The National Security Through Technology White Paper (Cmd 8278) already states that it is our intention to sustain investment in the Science and Technology Programme at a minimum of 1.2% of the defence budget, with a small rise in cash terms over the period of the comprehensive spending review.
	There is no centralised budget for research and development because development expenditure is applied as needed against requirements of individual equipment programmes. Our equipment plan for the next 10 years is contained in the Defence Equipment Plan 2012, published on 31 January 2013 and can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2012

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the decision-making process that surrounded the decision to change the Department's order for joint strike fighters and the reversal of the decision is improved.

Philip Dunne: This Government will not blindly pursue projects, ignoring new information about defence equipment acquisitions. The policy decision taken in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review to purchase the carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter was right, based on the information available at the time. More detailed technical work subsequently revealed that the costs and risks would be greater, and delivery timescale for a converted carrier longer than previously anticipated. In light of that assessment we took the decision to revert to the Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. This is an example of the Government being prepared to make difficult decisions, and represents a clear break from the past in the way the MOD now conducts its business.

Nuclear Weapons

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected annual running cost of a renewed nuclear deterrent would be.

Philip Dunne: As stated in the White Paper, The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) published in December 2006, we expect that once the new fleet of submarines comes into service that the in-service costs of the UK's nuclear deterrent, which will include the Atomic Weapons Establishment's costs, will be similar to today’s (around 5-6% of the defence budget).

Charities: Publicity

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on what dates and at which venues roadshows have been organised to publicise the provisions of the Small Charitable Donations Act 2012;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to publicise the opportunities afforded to charities by the Small Charitable Donations Act 2012;
	(3)  whether his Department provides support to hon. Members who wish to organise events in their constituencies to publicise the opportunities for local charities arising from the Small Charitable Donations Act 2012.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and customs (HMRC) will be writing to all charities that have made a Gift Aid repayment in the last three years to inform them about the new Gift Aid Small Donations scheme. Over 100,000 charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs will receive a letter over the next few weeks.
	HMRC will shortly be publishing guidance on using the new scheme.
	HMRC operates a Charities Outreach team who engage with charities on all matters relating to their tax affairs, and this will include the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme. Hon. Members who wish to take advantage of this should contact HMRC Charities—contact details are on the HMRC website.

Taxation

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered repealing Section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 on the backdating of tax law.

David Gauke: There are no plans to amend section 58(4) of the Finance Act 2008.

Welfare Tax Credits: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many (a) people, (b) working people and (c) families in Dudley North constituency are in receipt of tax credits;
	(2)  how many people in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands, (c) Dudley Borough and (d) Dudley North constituency receive working tax credit; and what the average weekly payment is in each case;
	(3)  how many people in Dudley North constituency are in receipt of working tax credit; and how many people in Dudley North constituency (a) in full-time work, (b) in part-time work and (c) not in paid employment are in receipt of child tax credits.

Sajid Javid: HMRC publishes national statistics on tax credits. The latest snapshot as at 1 December is available at a geographic level here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-geog-stats/cwtc-geog-dec12.xls
	As at 1 December 2012, there were:
	(a) 10,800 adults,
	(b) 5,600 adults in families classed as in work for tax credits purposes and working at least 16 hours per week, and,
	(c) 7,100 families
	in receipt of tax credits in Dudley North constituency.
	The number of families receiving working tax credit as at 1 December 2012, and their average weekly tax credit entitlement based on their circumstances as reported at this date, can be found in Table 1 following:
	
		
			 Table 1: Families receiving working tax credit 
			 Geographic Area Number (thousand) Average weekly tax credit entitlement (£) 
			 England 1,967.8 140 
			 West Midlands 229.6 140 
			 Dudley Borough 11.8 145 
			 Dudley North Constituency 3.4 145 
		
	
	There will be a further group of families who are not in receipt of working tax credit as their award has been tapered away, but who benefit from a higher award as they are eligible for it. This group will have a lower average entitlement.
	There is no standard definition of full- and part-time work, these have been defined to be consistent with tax credits hours thresholds. Of those adults in families in receipt of child tax credit as at 1 December 2012:
	(a) 2,900 reported working at least 30 hours and were in families eligible for working tax credit,
	(b) 1,800 reported working at least 16 hours but less than 30 hours and were in families eligible for working tax credit,
	(c) 4,900 were either in families out-of-work for tax credits purposes or in work for fewer than 16 hours and in families eligible for working tax credit.
	The figures in this answer do not take into account a small number of out-of-work families for whom an amount equivalent to tax credits is provided through DWP benefits.

Biofuels

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bristol East of 14 January 2013, Official Report, column 481W, on biofuels, what estimate he has made of the expected (a) minimum and (b) maximum volume of palm oil imported for bio-liquid-fuelled power stations; what comparative assessment he has made of the merits of the policy approach pursued by the German and Netherlands Governments of removing subsidies from all bioliquids for power generation in order to prevent the use of unsustainable biofuels for power generation; what consideration he has given to the effect of public subsidies being provided to palm-oil burning power stations on public confidence in his Department’s policies and systems on sustainable bioenergy; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: To date, the vast majority of bioliquids used to generate electricity under the renewables obligation (RO) have been derived from wastes or residues. These can be highly sustainable and generate useful renewable energy, and we consider it is right to continue to support electricity generated using these fuels under the RO. The RO includes sustainability criteria that bioliquids must meet in order to be eligible for support. The UK will continue to support measures to improve the sustainability criteria at a European level.
	In July 2012, we published the Government response to the RO banding review consultation explaining the decisions reached on support for electricity generated from bioliquids. The Government response was accompanied by an impact assessment of the RO banding decisions.
	(a) The minimum volume of palm oil that might be used to generate electricity supported by the RO would be zero.
	(b) We are introducing a 4% cap on the proportion of their renewables obligation that electricity suppliers can meet using certificates issued for electricity generated from bioliquids (with exceptions for CHP stations below 1 MW, energy from waste with CHP, advanced conversion fuels and microgenerators). The bioliquids cap equates to approximately 2 TWh of bioliquid electricity generation in 2017. The modelling for the impact assessment accompanying the Government response to the RO banding review showed that the support levels set for April 2013 onwards are not expected to bring on additional new deployment of bioliquid electricity generation, however, this is uncertain and there could be a small amount of new deployment of low cost bioliquid generation.
	No assessment has been made of the policy approach pursued by Germany and the Netherlands.

Biofuels

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what analysis he undertook when setting the proposed cap on subsidies for electricity biofuels; and if he has any plans to lower this cap;
	(2)  whether he plans to remove public subsidies for the use of bioliquids;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect of burning bioliquid fuels on the release of greenhouse gases.

John Hayes: To date, the vast majority of bioliquids used in the renewables obligation have been derived from wastes or residues. These can be highly sustainable and generate useful renewable energy. We wish to continue to support electricity generated using these fuels under the renewables obligation, and so for this reason do not intend to remove public subsidy under the RO for bioliquids. The bioliquids cap and sustainability criteria serve to minimise any potential risk from supporting electricity generated from bioliquids which have the potential to cause harm to the environment.
	The analysis undertaken for the bioliquids cap, and the impact of the renewables obligation on greenhouse gas emissions is set out in the renewables obligation banding review impact assessment. We are not considering lowering the cap at this time.
	From 1 April 2013, all electricity generated from bioliquids which receive support under the renewables obligation must demonstrate that they have met the mandatory sustainability criteria. These including a minimum greenhouse gas emission saving of 35% that applies to all electricity generation derived from bioliquids, rising to a minimum emission saving of 50% in 2017. From 1 January 2018, the minimum emission saving is increased to at least 60% for bioliquids produced in installations in which production started on or after 1 January 2017.
	The UK will continue to support measures to improve the sustainability criteria at a European level.

Carbon Emissions: Industry

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential risk of carbon leakage from domestic energy-intensive industries over the next 20 years; and what plans there are to protect the long-term competitiveness of domestic energy-intensive industries to prevent carbon leakage.

Gregory Barker: Published research(1 )suggests that the risk of carbon leakage(2) UK industries moving to third countries as a result of increased costs of carbon in the EU, is limited to a small number of sectors. The Government is keen to ensure that UK industry is competitive and we continue to monitor and evaluate the risk of carbon leakage. The Department has recently commissioned a research project that will report later this year
	(3)
	.
	The best way to address carbon leakage is a legally binding international climate agreement. In the interim, under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) industrial sectors at significant risk of carbon leakage receive an increased allocation of free allowances. Alongside this the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced, in the 2011 autumn statement, a £250 million package of measures for electro-intensive industries to address the indirect costs of the EU ETS and carbon price floor, and to increase the rate of relief from the climate change levy for electricity to 90% for those sectors which have signed up to UK climate change agreements. The Government is currently considering the responses to the consultation exercise on the detail of this relief package which closed in December.
	The Government is also seeking to exempt energy intensive industries from the costs of electricity market reform policies where this significantly impacts on their international competitiveness, subject to state aid rules.
	(1) Climate Strategies (UK) Reports (2007-09) on: Tackling Leakage in a world of unequal carbon prices:
	http://www.climatestrategies.org/research/our-reports/category/32.html
	Hourcade et al (2007) Differentiation and Dynamics of EU ETS Industrial Competitiveness Impacts, Climate Strategies:
	http://www.climatestrategies.org/research/our-reports/category/6/37.html
	Oko-Institut (Germany), Fraunhofer ISI, DIW (September 2008) Impacts of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on the industrial competitiveness in Germany:
	http://www.umweltdaten.de/publikationen/fpdf-l/3625.pdf
	DECC commissioned Cambridge Econometrics report 2010:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/What%20we%20do/Global%20climate%20change%20and%20energy/Tackling%20Climate%20Change/Emissions%20Trading/eu_ets/news/471-carbon-leakage-ce-report.pdf
	(2) Carbon leakage is the prospect of an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions when a company shifts production outside a country because they cannot pass on the cost increases induced by climate change policies to their customers without significant loss of market share.
	(3)https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&lang=en&NoticeId=826481

Energy Companies Obligation

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Government expects energy companies to be ready to take on the energy company obligation.

Gregory Barker: The energy company obligation (ECO) formally commenced on 1 January 2013, although energy suppliers are also able to count any ECO eligible measures installed since October 2012 towards their final obligation target.
	There is strong evidence that energy companies have already started to deliver against their ECO targets, with a number of ECO offers available in the market place and partnerships already agreed between energy companies and local authorities—including in Bristol, Birmingham and Leeds. The Government's Energy Savings Advice Service has referred over 2,300 pre-verified Affordable-Warmth customers to energy companies, and over £9 million's worth of ECO measures have been bought and sold on the new ECO brokerage platform.

Fuel Poverty

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Halifax of 31 January 2013, Official Report, column 1038, on fuel poverty, what estimate his Department has made of the total monetary value of Government policies designed to tackle fuel poverty in (a) the current financial year and (b) each of the previous 10 years.

Gregory Barker: The coalition Government has a range of policies to address the factors that contribute to fuel poverty including energy efficiency and bill rebate schemes. In addition, the Government provides winter fuel payments and cold weather payments.
	The annual budget for Warm Front is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Warm Front expenditure (£ million) 
			 2002-03 163 
			 2003-04 152 
			 2004-05 165 
			 2005-06 190 
			 2006-07 315 
			 2007-08 350 
			 2008-09 395 
			 2009-10 369 
			 2010-11 366 
			 2011-12 108.6 
			 2012-13 100 
		
	
	The figure for 2012-13 represents the current fuel poverty capital budget, as opposed to expenditure. It is anticipated that spending on Warm Front applications made in 2012-13 could amount to some £70 million. To ensure the full budget for 2012-13 is spent on tackling fuel poverty we have launched a £30 million competition for local authorities to install efficient central heating systems and insulation in the homes of vulnerable local residents.
	It is not possible to provide the costs of delivering a number of other energy efficiency policies because energy companies have not been required to report the information that is needed for such costs to be calculated. Through the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) Order 2012, however, Government has for the first time made provision to require energy suppliers to supply data to help provide evidence about the costs of delivering this scheme.
	It is expected that the costs of ECO will be broadly equivalent to the total cost of previous supplier obligations, namely the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) combined.
	The majority of CERT and CESP costs fell on CERT which delivered a minimum of 18% of their overall priority group carbon saving obligation to the most vulnerable consumers (the super priority group). A minimum of around 40% of the cost of delivering ECO will provide assistance to low income households through affordable warmth and the carbon savings community obligation. This is estimated at some £540 million per year.
	Spending on policies to tackle fuel poverty through bill rebates, namely warm home discount and the predecessor voluntary agreements, has increased year-on-year over the last four years from some £100 million in 2008-09 to an estimated £288 million in 2012-13. Such spending, which this year will support over 2 million households, both alleviates fuel poverty and addresses the potential negative distributional impact of increases in energy prices.
	Historic data on spending on winter fuel payments can be found at the Department for Work and Pensions website:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php? page=medium_term
	The following table shows spending on cold weather payments since 2002-03. Payments are now permanently £25 per week, compared to £8 per week for the period. The figure provided for 2012-13 is an estimate relating to the period to 1 February 2013. As set out in Commons Library Standard Note (SN06074) the payment is a fixed amount for each week of cold weather. For many years this was set at £8.50 a week increased to £25 a week as a temporary measure in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The coalition Government has made the £25 rate permanent.
	
		
			  Cold weather payment expenditure (£ million) 
			 2002-03 14.2 
			 2003-04 3.5 
			 2004-05 1.8 
			 2005-06 8.4 
			 2006-07 3.4 
			 2007-08 4.0 
			 2008-09 210.4 
			 2009-10 296.7 
			 2010-11 430.8 
			 2011-12 129.2 
			 2012-13 127.9

Green Deal Scheme

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take to increase the number of people using the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: The Department launched the Green Deal on 28 January and continues to play a significant role in helping this new market to develop.
	We have committed £22 million to support ‘Go Early’ Green Deal activity in eight English core cities and across 150 local authorities and launched our £125 million Green Deal cashback incentive on 14 January, alongside a £2.9 million communication campaign launched on 29 January aimed at building trust and understanding in the Green Deal, with a strong call to action for consumers to contact the Energy Saving Advice Service helpline (0300 123 1234) or to find out more via the web pages:
	www.gov.uk/greendeal

Nuclear Power Stations

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of Centrica's decision to withdraw from the new nuclear programme.

John Hayes: This Government is determined to make the UK a leading destination for investment in new nuclear by putting in place a framework to make this possible. Centrica's decision to withdraw reflects the company's investment priorities and is not a reflection on UK Government policy. We're continuing to see a high level of interest in the UK nuclear market, including from a diverse range of potential new entrants. We welcome EDF Energy's continued commitment to taking forward the Hinkley Point C project. Furthermore, the recent purchase of Horizon Nuclear Power by Hitachi is clear evidence of the attractiveness of the new nuclear market in the UK.

Bus Services: Disability

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of capacity for disabled people travelling aboard public buses.

Norman Baker: The Public Service Vehicles (Accessibility) Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) have provisions to make vehicles accessible for disabled people including low floor capability and priority seats. The deadlines for when all buses on local and scheduled services designed to carry more than 22 passengers must meet these requirements range from 2015 to 2020 depending on the type of vehicle. Until then, availability of accessible vehicles on any given service will vary depending on the make-up of the fleet and is principally a matter for bus operators.
	The most recent figures show that 71% of vehicles in England are PSVAR compliant (94% in London), 88% of buses in England are low floor (99% in London). I will continue to monitor these figures as the deadlines approach.
	I recently published the Department for Transport's Accessibility Action Plan setting out the Department's priorities for improving access to transport, particularly for disabled people. This can be viewed on the .gov website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessibility-action-plan

Driving Tests

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information is held on (a) the number of drivers who pass their driving test first time, (b) the gender of and (c) the age group of driving test applicants.

Stephen Hammond: The Driving Standards Agency publishes driving test data at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/series/driving-tests-and-instructors-statistics
	The number of drivers who passed their car practical driving test at the first attempt over the last two financial years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010-11 336,356 
			 2011-12 332,700 
		
	
	The breakdown of car practical driving test applicants by gender and age group for financial year 2010-11 and 2011-12 is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 Male 
			  2010-11 2011-12 
			 17 204,831 187,514 
			 18 105,793 95,879 
			 19 57,802 53,797 
			 20 39,334 38,136 
			 21-25 144,338 141,201 
			 26-30 108,855 105,520 
			 31+ 152,537 153,605 
			 Total 813,490 775,652 
		
	
	
		
			 Female 
			  2010-11 2011-12 
			 17 185,992 179,283 
			 18 118,488 107,332 
			 19 67,677 62,966 
			 20 45,865 45,575 
			 21-25 166,092 161,509 
			 26-30 119,731 117,033 
			 31+ 182,663 187,280 
			 Total 886,508 860,978

Railways: Franchises

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to his Statement of 31 January 2013, Official Report, column 60WS, on rail franchising, how a management-style contract for the operation of the combined Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise will differ from a normal franchise contract.

Simon Burns: The main differences between a traditional “franchise” and a “management-style contract” are the degrees of revenue risk that we expect the operator to bear. This also affects the degree of specification that would need to be included in the contract. In this case, a management-style contract will be suitable to support the introduction of new Thameslink infrastructure and rolling stock.

Severn River Crossing

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he anticipates the Severn Bridges concession will end.

Stephen Hammond: The current concession with Severn River Crossing plc is a variable length concession that will end once a pre-agreed revenue target is met. The current estimation is that the revenue target will be met in 2018.
	When the concession period ends, the crossings will revert back to public ownership. The Severn Bridges Act 1992 allows for Government to continue tolling for up to a further five years to recover its own costs. These are costs that fall outside of the scope of the current concession including for professional advice, works associated with latent defects such as the main cable corrosion on the Severn bridge, and £4 million of the £126 million pre-concession debt from 1992. These amounts are reported each year in the Severn Bridge Act Accounts. As at 31 March 2012, the accumulated deficit was £112 million.

Transport: Finance

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much devolved transport funding will be available for (a) Greater Manchester local enterprise partnership, (b) South Yorkshire local enterprise partnership and (c) the Sheffield city region between 2015 and 2019.

Norman Baker: Funding for major local transport schemes is being devolved to Local Transport Bodies. The level of funding that they receive will be determined in the spending review period.
	On 23 January 2013 the Department provided all areas with indicative funding figures to use as planning assumptions when developing their investment priorities. In doing so it asked all areas to make contingency plans for the funding being up to one third higher or lower than the indicative figure. We provided an indicative figure of £65.4 million for Greater Manchester and £37.3 million for Sheffield City Region/South Yorkshire for the period from 2015 to 2019. Full details are available here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69185/devolution-lmts-funding.pdf

Transport: Per Capita Costs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) national and (b) regional average that Government spent per head on transport in the last year for which figures are available; and how much was spent on transport per head in South Yorkshire.

Norman Baker: The most recent data available for total public expenditure on transport is given in HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses for 2011-12. Identifiable expenditure on transport per head in 2011-12 was (a) £292 for England and £315 for the whole of the UK and (b) £251 for Yorkshire and the Humber. Equivalent data is not available below regional level.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

George Galloway: To ask the Prime Minister how much the Chilcot Inquiry has cost since it was established; and what estimate he has made of its final cost.

David Cameron: Information for expenditure incurred by the Iraq inquiry from its establishment on 15 June 2009 to 31 March 2012 is available on the Iraq inquiry website.
	Information for expenditure for 2012-13 will be published by the inquiry after the end of the financial year.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many requests he has received from operators of existing coal-fired power stations for special exemptions from the enforcement of the Large Combustion Plant Directive; how many such requests have asked for (a) extra time to decide whether to opt in by retrofitting flue gas treatment equipment to control emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter and (b) permission for allowances to emit extra emissions; what response he has given to such requests; what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency about such requests; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has received no requests from operators of existing coal-fired power stations for special exemptions from the enforcement of the large combustion plant directive.
	Article 5(1) of the Large Combustion Plant Directive (2001/80/EC) allows plants with a rated thermal input greater than 400 megawatts, which were permitted prior to July 1987 and which operate for more than 2,000 hours annually, to be subject to an emission limit value for sulphur dioxide of 800 mg/m(3), rather than the 400 mg/m(3) which would otherwise apply.
	Requests for this derogation to be applied were made to and granted by the Environment Agency in respect of four plants within the period 1 January 2008 to 7 February 2009. These were to enable the completion of work to install the additional abatement equipment need to enable compliance with the lower limit. The Environment Agency has received no further requests since that time. There have therefore been no recent discussions.

Coastal Areas: Flood Control

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to protect coastal towns from potential flooding.

Richard Benyon: Current preparedness and processes for managing risk from coastal flooding and coastal erosion are set out within the National Flood Emergency Framework, the Lead Government Department Plan for Flooding and the Flood Rescue Enhancement Project Concept of Operations.
	This Government is on course to spend £2.3 billion on reducing the risk from flooding and coastal erosion over this spending period (April 2011 to March 2015). We expect to better protect 165,000 households over the same period.

Fisheries Regional Advisory Councils

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to increase the representation of vessels of under 10 metres on Regional Advisory Councils.

Richard Benyon: The role of regional advisory councils is to advise on the development of fisheries management measures and is established under the current common fisheries policy (CFP). The councils are stakeholder-led organisations comprised principally of fishermen and other representatives of interests affected by the CFP. They establish their own representative organisational make-up and rules of procedure.
	Regional advisory councils are likely to play an invaluable role in the establishment of a more regionalised approach to fisheries management under CFP reform. I am therefore pleased that advisory councils have recognised the importance of a strong voice for small-scale fishers and are taking steps to ensure a balanced representation of all stakeholders, covering the entire fishing fleet, to include the full range of operators of small through to large vessels.

Nuclear Weapons

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has had with the US administration about whether the alternatives to the current nuclear deterrent system would be (a) supported by the US administration and (b) in line with the US 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	None.

Trident

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has had with local authorities as part of the Trident Alternatives Review and the feasibility of specific sites for a land-based deterrent; and if he will publish a list of the dates of all such meetings and participants.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	None.

Alcohol-related Crime

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to reduce alcohol-related crime.

Jeremy Browne: The Government's Alcohol Strategy sets out a range of action under way to tackle alcohol-related crime. We have given the police and local communities more powers to tackle late night drinking problems by restricting opening hours and charging a late night levy to support policing. We have recently consulted the public on other measures, including the introduction of minimum unit pricing, this consultation closed last week.

Domestic Violence

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress her Department has made on improving the detection and reporting of incidents of domestic violence.

Jeremy Browne: The Government has introduced new initiatives to improve the reporting of domestic violence. These include piloting the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme and Domestic Violence Protection Orders.
	Detections are, of course, a matter of the police and we will continue to work with them to improve detection rates and reporting of these violent and abhorrent crimes.

Criminal Records

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress her Department has made on allowing people to transfer criminal record disclosures between local authorities.

Theresa May: The Government has legislated for a new portable disclosure service, the Update Service in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. This will benefit all customers, including local authorities. The new service will be delivered by the Disclosure and Barring Service, who are currently developing the new service. The new service will be provided free of charge to volunteers as part of our wider drive to promote volunteering.

Telecommunications: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times communications data was accessed as part of investigations into paedophile activity in the two week survey conducted by the Association of Chief Police Officers during summer 2012.

James Brokenshire: During the two week 2012 Association of Chief Police Officers Single Point of Contact Survey, there were 592 occasions that communications data was disclosed by communications service providers to participating law enforcement organisations to support child abuse investigations. The survey was conducted on the basis of identifying broad crime types that communications data was acquired for—and the closest approximation to the investigation of ‘paedophile activity’ is the category relating to the investigation of child abuse.
	These snapshot survey figures if repeated over a 12-month period would therefore indicate an annual total of around 15,000 disclosures to support child abuse investigations.
	Communications data is used to investigate a range of crimes, but is particularly important in child abuse investigations which frequently involve the internet—either through the grooming of children online, or the sharing of illegal child abuse images. Communications data is vital to establish who has been in contact with whom in these sorts of investigation; it can also be used to locate vulnerable individuals so that they can be protected from harm.

Early Intervention Grant

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authority use of the early intervention grants for family intervention projects; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 1 February 2013
	My Department published information from the evaluation of family intervention projects in our recent report, ‘Working with Troubled Families’, which is available on my Department's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-with-troubled-families-a-guide-to-evidence-and-good-practice

Fracking

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to Clause 24 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, how he plans to ensure that local residents will have their views on shale gas developments in their local area taken into account where a development is considered as a nationally significant infrastructure project; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 127W. Notwithstanding, we are still considering the responses we have received on the proposed list of development types as part of the consultation document on extending the nationally significant infrastructure regime to business and commercial projects. The nationally significant infrastructure regime places a requirement on the applicant to undertake consultation. Local people have the opportunity to put forward their views on an application at the pre-application stage, following submission of the application and then again, if an application is accepted for examination, to be heard at a hearing.

Homelessness: Brighton

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department plans to spend on reducing homelessness in Brighton and Hove in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15; whether these plans have taken account of any modelling of possible increases in homelessness as a result of planned changes to (i) under occupancy rules in social housing, (ii) the benefit cap, (iii) council tax benefit and (iv) the Social Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Brighton and Hove have been awarded provisional funding for homelessness prevention of £1,292,665 for 2013-14 and 2014-15. The council is also eligible to apply for funding from the localising support for council transition grant scheme.
	The baseline funding level for local authorities is set according to need at the outset of the Homelessness Prevention Grant scheme and a number of modifications have been used to ensure funding follows need (for example, adjustments have been made to meet peaks in youth homelessness and rough sleeping).
	Brighton and Hove will receive £1,014,714 in 2013-14 for discretionary housing payments to help support households with the transition of welfare reform changes. This funding falls under the remit of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Local Government Finance

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the local government funding formula accounts for (a) local authorities' statutory functions and (b) anticipated cost pressures on those functions.

Brandon Lewis: At each spending review the Government considers what functions, both statutory and non-statutory, are to be funded through the local government finance settlement and what functions are to be funded outside of it through special or specific grants. The Government then considers the cost pressures on services and takes these into account, alongside wider fiscal considerations, when setting the amount of funding to be provided to local government.
	The funding formula used for the 2013-14 local government finance settlement is set out in the draft Local Government Finance Report (England) 2013/2014 which was laid in this House on 4 February.

Right to Buy Scheme

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many right-to-buy sales to sitting tenants have taken place since 1980.

Mark Prisk: Local authorities sold 1,775,000 dwellings through the Right to Buy Scheme between 1980-81 and 2011-12. There were also 86,000 dwellings sold by Registered Providers through the Preserved Right to Buy and Right to Buy schemes over the same time period. Further information can be found here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-sales-in-england-2011-to-2012

Vacant Land

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many developments were built on greenfield sites in (a) England, (b) Leeds and (c) Leeds North West constituency in each of the last five years.

Nicholas Boles: The Department's Land Use Change-Green Statistics provide information about development on previously-developed land and on 'greenfield' (non previously-developed land). These statistics are published on the Department's website at the following link,
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-land-use-change-statistics
	Residential development is covered in Tables 211 to 213 and other developed uses in Tables 261 to 265. The statistics are not available at constituency level.

School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the degree to which schools in England are compliant with the School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

David Laws: The amended regulations removed the requirement for schools to produce a hard copy prospectus each year and instead require schools to publish certain information online. This includes information about their pupil premium expenditure, which rises to £900 per eligible pupil for 2013-14.
	The pupil premium is a significant Government investment in addition to mainstream school funding, for which schools are accountable to parents and to their local communities. The Government is determined to narrow attainment gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and that is why we have introduced the pupil premium. This investment currently stands at £1.25 billion this year and will rise to £1.875 billion in 2013-14. We believe that head teachers and school leaders should decide how to use the pupil premium, as they are the professional experts who know their own pupils' needs. This means that we also expect schools to take the lead responsibility in assessing and accounting for their use of the premium.
	Departmental researchers recently conducted a random survey of schools' compliance, which found that only 21 of the 120 schools sampled published online information on their pupil premium allocation and/or expenditure. This included nine primary schools, 11 secondary schools, and one special school. None of the 10 pupil referral units (PRU) sampled provided online information on either their pupil premium allocation, or expenditure.
	These are unacceptable figures. Schools are free to choose how to spend the pupil premium to achieve their objectives, but the use of the money must be clear and schools will be held to account. That is why we are taking the additional steps outlined in my response to PQ 138696. We shall be examining the compliance of a further sample of schools in the spring.
	Governing bodies and head teachers have clear responsibilities to ensure that their school adheres to the law. If a parent believes that a school is not complying with the requirements they are entitled to raise this with the governing body. If they remain dissatisfied, they can then raise their complaint with the Secretary of State. Any such complaint would be handled as set out in the Department's published school complaints process.

School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure compliance with the School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

David Laws: The amended regulations removed the requirement for schools to produce a hard copy prospectus each year and instead require schools to publish certain important information online. The Department notified schools about the changes made to these regulations which came into force in September 2012. This has included through termly departmental Need to Know emails to all schools (before and after the changes came into force), publishing and updating information on the departmental website, and working to communicate the changes through partners like the National Governors Association.
	The regulations also introduced an important new requirement, to publish online information about their pupil premium expenditure, which rises to £900 per eligible pupil next year, and for which schools are accountable to parents and to their local communities. Overall compliance by schools concerned with this requirement had not reached satisfactory levels when it was examined during autumn 2012.
	Her Majesty's Chief Inspector has recently written to schools, drawing their attention to the new formal inspection focus on their use of the pupil premium and the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. I have recently asked Sir Michael Wilshaw to consider the ways in which his inspectors might use a school's published information about the pupil premium in support of their assessments. Compliance with the regulations would then help to inform the dialogue between a school and its inspectors, improve schools' general sense of accountability, and engage the parents of disadvantaged children more fully with their children's educational opportunities. We are publishing examples of information prepared by schools about their use of the premium on the Department's pupil premium webpage at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium

ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to help those who lack basic IT skills get online.

Edward Vaizey: BDUK is encouraging local authorities responsible for delivering broadband projects to develop demand stimulation campaigns that support people and businesses to take full advantage of better broadband. These campaigns need both to motivate people to recognise the benefits of being online and to support them to build their digital skills. BDUK is working with Go ON, UK national partners and others to channel additional support through local broadband projects.

Discrimination

Harriet Harman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she plans to take steps to bring into force the dual discrimination provisions contained in section 14 of the Equality Act 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: In March 2011, the Government published the “Plan for Growth” which announced that it would not bring forward the dual discrimination provisions. The then Minister for Women and Equalities confirmed this commitment in her written statement to Parliament on 15 May 2012, Official Report, columns 28-29WS, on the outcome of the Equalities Red Tape Challenge.
	These provisions will remain on the statute book but will have no effect during the lifetime of this Parliament.

Discrimination

Harriet Harman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what meetings she has had on dual discrimination issues since her appointment.

Helen Grant: None. In March 2011, the Government published the “Plan for Growth” which announced that it would not bring forward the dual discrimination provisions. The then Minister for Women and Equalities confirmed this commitment in her written statement to Parliament on 15 May 2012, Official Report, columns 28-29WS, on the outcome of the Equalities Red Tape Challenge.

Sudan and South Sudan

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance she is providing to Sudan and South Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID continues to be a leading contributor to the humanitarian response in Sudan supporting emergency water, food and health interventions in Sudan contributing £21 million in 2012. Where possible we will look to support communities to rebuild their lives and reduce their dependency on short-term humanitarian support. We stand ready to provide support to South Kordofan and Blue Niles states once humanitarian access is permitted. Total UK support for the humanitarian situation in South Sudan stands at £48 million for 2012, which includes funds for the refugee crisis channelled through the Common Humanitarian Fund, World Food Programme and a £5 million contribution to UN High Commissioner for Refugees to help, in part, to prepare for additional refugees in 2013. We are also currently considering the level of humanitarian funding for both Sudan and South Sudan for the coming year. We will continue to work with our international partners in both countries in deciding how best to respond to, and plan for the changing humanitarian need.

Sudan and South Sudan

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Sudan and South Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: I am extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in both Sudan and South Sudan. In Sudan we are particularly concerned for civilians caught up in fighting in the border states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. We are also deeply worried about the recent escalation of conflict in North Darfur which is affecting 100,000 people. South Sudan remains in the grip of a long-term, complex humanitarian crisis. This has resulted from large numbers of internally displaced people from conflict and flooding, a flow of returnees from Sudan, and a general food security problem, faced by much of the population. The situation has been further exacerbated by the influx of around 175,000 refugees from Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile into both Unity and Upper Nile States. I have visited both Darfur and South Sudan in the last four months to see first-hand the humanitarian situation.

Arctic

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions were held at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 31 January 2013 on the safety of drilling for oil or gas in the Arctic Circle.

Mark Simmonds: There were no explicit discussions on the safety of drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Circle. The discussion on the Arctic focussed around member states' support for the Commission's application for Arctic Council observer status. Ministers also focussed on the impact of climate change on the Arctic, and the importance of respecting the rights of the Arctic's indigenous peoples.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent diplomatic efforts he has made to find a long-term solution to the military and humanitarian crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mark Simmonds: I remain deeply concerned by the fragile state of security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I visited the region from 21-23 November last year to assess the situation in person, and followed up on 10 December with phone calls to the Foreign Ministers of DRC, Uganda and Rwanda. I pursued further with regional leaders and UN officials in the margins of the African Union (AU) summit at the end of January. In addition, the Prime Minister spoke to Presidents Kagame and Kabila on 22 November last year. He pressed them to find a sustainable solution to this long running conflict. British officials have been engaged with interested governments, on the ground in Kigali, Kinshasa and Kampala, as well as at the UN, the AU, the EU and elsewhere, in promoting the early signature of a regional Peace and Security Framework setting out the conditions for peace in the region. We remain convinced that a credible international oversight mechanism for its implementation will help ensure the sustained regional and international attention needed to ensure long-term gains.

Diplomatic Service

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to open new UK diplomatic posts overseas by 2015.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has announced plans to open the following UK diplomatic posts overseas by 2015, in addition to the posts opened since 2010. Details of further posts will be announced once planning is finalised and formal approval has been granted by the host Governments.
	
		
			 Post Country Type 
			 Asuncion Paraguay New Embassy 
			 Chandigarh India. New Deputy High Commission 
			 Mogadishu Somalia New Embassy 
			 Monrovia Liberia Upgrade Political Office to Embassy 
			 Port au Prince Haiti New Embassy

Diplomatic Service

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department retains the expertise of senior former members of HM Diplomatic Service.

David Lidington: When the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), set out his vision of the future of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 8 September 2011, he emphasised the importance of cultivating and retaining the knowledge and expertise of senior FCO alumni. He also announced the decision to set up a new ‘Locarno Group' of former ambassadors and other senior former members of HM Diplomatic Service. Together they combine a broad range of strategic policy-making experience with expertise in specific areas relevant to current foreign policy priorities. Members provide valuable assistance in the development and implementation of foreign policy and perform a challenge role: an external check on the direction of the FCO's foreign policy in specific areas key to our national interest. They perform these functions both in Locarno Group meetings and to the rest of the FCO. The Group's discussions are treated as confidential advice to Ministers.
	Since its creation, the Secretary of State has held four meetings of the Locarno Group, most recently on 30 January 2013. Updated terms of reference for the Group (including membership) were placed in the Library of the House on 13 December 2012.

Diplomatic Service

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to increase language training for UK diplomats; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Increasing the number of skilled language speakers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a priority for the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). Work is under way to raise the standards of staff language skills significantly.
	We are:
	lengthening training programmes in key languages such as Arabic and Mandarin and increasing the number of speakers of these. Once trained speakers are in place, we will have 40% more speakers of Arabic and Mandarin in our posts overseas than in 2010;
	increasing the number of jobs overseas for which language skills will be a requirement;
	ensuring our training supports the influencing and negotiation skills required for effective diplomacy;
	providing lunchtime and after-work classes, and e-learning resources in key languages to ensure that speakers can develop and maintain skills while on home postings;
	and
	developing cadres of language expertise to support British foreign policy over the long-term.
	As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced in a speech at the FCO in September 2011, this Government has also committed to re-open a language centre in the Foreign Office. We expect to open the language centre in summer 2013. The new centre will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 students a year, including from other Government Departments. This will allow us, for the first time, to accommodate all of our students on-site, including the many FCO staff who study languages part-time.

Embassies

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made to the UK's network of embassies since May 2010.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is strengthening its diplomatic network significantly, deploying more staff to the fastest growing regions, upgrading existing posts and opening new ones. Nine new posts have been opened or upgraded since May 2010, in the following locations:
	
		
			 Date Country Post Change 
			 May 2012 Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire Political Office upgraded to Embassy 
			 October 2012 Antananarivo Madagascar British Interests Section upgraded to Embassy 
			 July 2012 Bishkek Kyrgyzstan New Embassy 
			 September 2012 Calgary Canada Trade office upgraded to Consulate General 
		
	
	
		
			 June 2012 Hyderabad India Trade office upgraded to Deputy High Commission 
			 July 2011 South Sudan Juba New Embassy in new sovereign state 
			 November 2011 Brazil Recife Trade office upgraded to Consulate General 
			 November 2012 San Salvador El Salvador New Embassy 
			 October 2012 Vientiane Laos New Embassy 
		
	
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has made a commitment to retain all existing British embassies and high commissions throughout the life of this Parliament, but we have closed a number of consulates in Europe. We have changed our working methods to provide services to our customers in a more effective and efficient way, for example through the introduction of a Contact Centre in Malaga, which helps reduce calls to our posts in southern Europe.
	
		
			 Date Country Post Change 
			 September 2011 France Lille Consulate General closed (now covered from Paris) 
			 June 2012 France Lyon Consulate General closed and re-opened as a trade office 
			 December 2011 Italy Florence Consulate closed 
			 September 2011 Italy Venice Consulate General closed 
			 October 2010 Switzerland Geneva Consulate General closed

Indonesia

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which Christians are being persecuted in the Aceh Province of Indonesia; and what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government on that matter.

Hugo Swire: The British Government remains concerned about individuals and groups in Indonesia who are denied the right to freedom of religion or belief, or who face discrimination and persecution, including Christians in the Indonesian province of Aceh. We have noted with concern the closure of churches and other places of worship in Aceh over the last year.
	Staff at our embassy in Jakarta have visited Aceh, most recently in November 2012, to meet representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and religious communities, and officials from the provincial government. In May 2012, my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Warsi went to the province of Aceh and spoke to the Deputy Provincial Secretary regarding religious tolerance. Embassy officials will visit Aceh later in 2013 to continue to monitor the situation closely, and to maintain close links with local NGOs and religious groups, including church groups.
	More generally, our embassy in Jakarta frequently raises freedom of religion issues with the Government of Indonesia, most recently in December 2012 at meetings at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The deputy ambassador also recently met the Chairman of the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (KOMNAS HAM) in January 2013 and discussed incidents of violations of freedom of religion.

Israel

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart about the recording of police interviews with children.

Alistair Burt: During his visit to Israel in November 2012 the Attorney-General, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve) raised the issue of audio-visual recording of interviews with Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention, as recommended in an independent report by British legal experts, with the Israeli Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein and other senior interlocuters. Mr Weinstein agreed to further talks between UK and British legal experts on the subject. This followed previous discussions between the embassy in Tel Aviv and the Israeli authorities on this and other recommendations made in the June 2012 report.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials discussed the recommendations and progress on this issue with a senior Israeli legal delegation on 31 January 2013.

Middle East

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the peace process; and what topics were discussed.

Alistair Burt: The Government has regular contacts with the Israeli authorities on the peace process at both ministerial and senior official level. Contacts cover both the need for a return to negotiations and related issues such as settlements, the unfreezing of planning in E1, the need to release Palestinian tax revenues and the situation in Gaza.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discussed the peace process with the Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on 30 November and the Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on 3 December. I also discussed the peace process with Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon on 2 of January. Our ambassador to Israel has also discussed the peace process with a range of senior figures over this period.

Middle East

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Palestinian counterpart on the peace process; and what topics were discussed.

Alistair Burt: I discussed a wide range of issues concerning the Middle East Peace Process with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, on 21 December. I asked the President to engage in a renewed effort—led by the United States with full European support—to achieve a just and permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our officials at the Consulate-General in Jerusalem also recently met with Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat and discussed the peace process.
	The UK continues to urge both sides to refrain from any steps that would make the two state solution, or a return to negotiations, more difficult. 2013 is a crucial year for the Middle East Peace Process if progress is to be made before the window for a two state solution closes. Accordingly we will continue to call on Palestinian Authority President Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister to show the strong leadership needed to achieve a return to negotiations for a two-state solution, which will bring a just and permanent solution to this conflict.

Occupied Territories

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evaluation he has made of third party legal opinions that trade with Israeli settlements aids and assists breaches in international law.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of third party legal opinions on this matter, but as the hon. Gentleman will know I am not able to comment on legal advice to Ministers. The issue of trade with Israeli settlements was recently addressed in the report of the HRC Fact Finding Mission dated 31 January 2013. We are considering this report and its recommendations in detail prior to the interactive dialogue to be held with the Fact Finding Mission during the 22nd Session of the Human Rights Council.
	It is the Government's long standing view that settlements are illegal under international law and Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is governed by the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and regularly raise our profound concerns over Israel's settlement policy, including its implications on the rights of Palestinian people across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We will continue to press the next Israeli government to cease all settlement activity.

Occupied Territories

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on Israeli development of Area C of the West Bank.

Alistair Burt: The Government remains deeply concerned about the impact of Israeli restrictions on Palestinians living in Area C, Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and infrastructure and continued settlement building. We have received representations from members of the public via their MPs raising their concerns with this issue and from NGOs active on these issues. Our officials from the embassy in Tel Aviv have made representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue, most recently on 5 February with the Israeli National Security Council.

Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if he will assess the top 10 issues that influence the happiness and wellbeing of UK citizens;
	(2)  if he will assess the role of fairness and equality in influencing wellbeing;
	(3)  if he will assess the public views on levels of community spirit and its impact on wellbeing;
	(4)  what recent assessment the Office for National Statistics has made of economic inequalities between generations.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2013
	As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will assess the top ten issues that influence the happiness and well-being of UK citizens (142472), the role of fairness and equality in influencing well-being (142473), the public views on levels of community spirit and its impact on well-being (142474) and what recent assessment the Office for National Statistics has made of economic inequalities between generations (142475).
	ONS has not made an official assessment of the top ten issues that influence the happiness and well-being of UK citizens. The National Well-being framework that ONS has developed following the National Debate on how to measure well-being recognises that individual's subjective well-being is influenced by a broad range of factors including: personal relationships, health, what we do, where we live, personal finance, education and skills, the economy, governance and the natural environment. Added to this, sustainability, fairness and equality were also seen as important aspects for consideration when assessing the nation's well-being.
	Many of the specific measures that are related to an individual's subjective well-being are also related to each other such as age, employment status, marital status and health. ONS is currently undertaking work to understand better the drivers of subjective well-being. Preliminary results suggest that for the measures available, self reported health, relationship status, employment status and ethnicity are most strongly related to subjective well-being. ONS plans to publish a report providing more detailed results in April or May 2013. Subsequent analysis including income and wealth is also planned.
	ONS has published estimates of people's views of their community involvement and belonging in the ‘Where we live' article in July 2012, but did not analyse how these are associated with levels of subjective well-being. However, it does provide estimates of how people's satisfaction of their local area is associated with life satisfaction. Of those who reported a medium/high satisfaction (seven to 10 out of 10) with their local area, 19% reported a low satisfaction (zero to six out of 10) with their life. However, of those who reported a low satisfaction with their local area, 42% reported a low satisfaction with their life. It must be noted that 58% who reported a low satisfaction with their local area also reported a medium/high satisfaction with life.
	In terms of economic inequalities between generations, ONS published a report July 2011 that considers a generational accounts approach to long term public finance in the UK.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/a-generational-accounts-approach-to-long-term-public-finance-in-the-uk/july-2010/long-term-public-finance.pdf
	ONS also publishes an annual statistical bulletin on The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household income which examines how taxes and benefits redistribute income between various groups of households in the UK, including retired and non-retired households.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/household-income/the-effects-of-taxes-and-benefits-on-household-income/2010-11/etb-stats-bulletin-1011.html
	Further to this, ONS also publishes estimates of household wealth by age from the Wealth and Assets Survey. Table 14 in Chapter 2 of ‘Wealth in Great Britain' gives estimates of persons by age by the total wealth of the household in which they live.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/was/wealth-in-great-britain-wave-2/2008-2010--part-2-/report--chapter-2--total-wealth.html

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, columns 152-3W, on cybercrime, what steps he is taking to address the security issues raised by Network Virtualization; and what guidance his Department has issued on Network Virtualization in government networks.

Chloe Smith: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on 31 January 2013, Official Report, column 932W.

Internet

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the Government's policy is on securing IPv6 addresses.

Nick Hurd: The Government has already secured two top level IP Version 6 addressing domains and another will be acquired in 2013 for the public services network.

Autism

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase employment opportunities for people with autism.

Esther McVey: The Work programme, launched on 10 June 2011 is the biggest single Welfare to Work programme. It provides more personalised back-to-work support for unemployed people, including disabled people.
	For disabled people with more complex needs which cannot be met through the Work programme, they can access a range of specialist disability employment provision.
	Work Choice provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment find and stay in work. It ultimately helps them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual. Work Choice is voluntary and available regardless of any benefits being claimed. Work Choice can provide an indefinite period of support once the customer is in work, unlike mainstream employment provision. This is in recognition of the fact that some Work Choice participants may need ongoing support to overcome barriers in work that cannot be met through normal workplace adjustments.
	From July 2012 we have introduced the Work Choice wage incentive which is a payment worth up to £2,275 that an employer can claim where they employ an 18 to 24-year-old from Work Choice for at least 26 weeks.
	Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs. The type of support Access to Work provides can include transport to work, support workers and specialist adaptations and equipment.
	All staff have access to the Hidden Impairment Toolkit, which provides practical advice and guidance on how best to support individuals, including those with autism, into employment. This approach enables the anticipation of reasonable adjustments at appropriate stages of the individual's journey to work. A number of staff in DWP undertake training specifically covering autism, and how this affects individuals.
	In 2012 the Minister for Welfare Reform, Lord Freud, launched the guide ‘Untapped Talent; A guide for employing people with Autism’, which has been co produced by the National Autistic Society, the Employers Roundtable members and DWP. This guide provides employers with useful information about employing people with autism, as well as providing insights into the experiences of employers and guidance for managers around the interview process, job adverts and the working environment.

Crisis Loans

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the total value was of crisis loans awarded in each local authority area in each year from 2009;
	(2)  how many applications were accepted for a crisis loan in each local authority area in each year from 2009.

Steve Webb: The above information is contained in three tables covering each year: 2009-10; 2010-11; and 2011-12. The number of applications that were accepted for a crisis loan is given under the heading “awards”.
	We will place these tables in the Library in one document named:
	Library Document142242-3
	Note:
	The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.

Employment: Young People

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the advertising budget for Youth Contract wage incentives for 2012-13 is.

Mark Hoban: In 2012-13, the Department has spent £66,937.22 (excluding VAT) on a pilot advertising campaign in 10 youth unemployment hotspots.
	This expenditure supplemented no cost communications techniques which allowed us to extend the reach of our message, such as social media and working with partners such as the British Chambers of Commerce to disseminate our messages.
	The budget reflects the cost of developing press and radio adverts and advertising, and will help understand the most effective way of encouraging small employers to give young people an opportunity.

Housing Benefit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what advice his Department is providing to households affected by the introduction of the under-occupancy penalty in the social rented sector in April 2013;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to prepare and inform affected individuals in advance of the introduction of the under-occupancy penalty in the social rented sector in April 2013.

Steve Webb: Both the local authorities who are delivering this measure and the social landlords whose tenants will be affected have a crucial role in communicating this change to the individuals concerned, and my Department is working with both to facilitate this.
	My Department has been working with local authorities to advise them how people can be contacted and provided them with letter templates and fact-sheets. Frequently asked questions and answers have also been made available on the ‘Advisers and Intermediaries’ pages of the DWP website for advice organisations to use if they wish, along with general information about the change and local authority guidance.
	In addition to this both my Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government have worked closely with the Chartered Institute of Housing who has produced ‘Making it Fit’, a guidance manual on the under-occupancy measure specifically aimed at social landlords.

Jobcentre Plus

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether jobcentres use a standard instrument for diagnostic screening of weaknesses in English and mathematics skills.

Mark Hoban: Skills screening to identify potential skills needs, including literacy and numeracy, is an integral part of every Work Focused Interview conducted by Jobcentre Advisers. Screening involves gathering evidence through questioning, observation and analysis of existing qualifications and work history, to make informed decision on whether claimants would benefit from a more in-depth diagnostic assessment with a Skills Provider.
	Advisers have the option to use a standard screening tool to assist with the identification of potential skills needs where they feel this would help identify less obvious needs.

Occupational Pensions

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to make the public aware of the benefits of making contributions additional to those made as a result of autoenrolment; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The introduction of automatic enrolment represents a major behavioural change. We estimate it will lead to 6 million to 9 million people saving for the first time or saving more into a workplace pension, generating £11 billion a year more in workplace pension saving by 2019-20. For many, this is the first time they will have access to workplace pension saving, and a contribution from their employer.
	We have been clear in public information that 8% is a minimum amount and we are keen for people to save more if they can. However, our priority is the successful roll out of automatic enrolment and it is important to encourage people to start saving before suggesting that they save more. That is why minimum contributions are being phased in over six years to help both employers and individuals adjust gradually to the additional costs of saving. Phasing is not compulsory, and employers and individuals may contribute more than the minimum requirement at any time.
	In addition, as set out in our recent reinvigoration strategy, we will be exploring mechanisms to increase savings, such as the 'Automatic Escalation' schemes which have been successful in the US—these encourage people to commit to increasing their contributions at a future date, often in line with wage increases.

Pension Credit

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of pensioners who are not currently claiming pensions credit for which they are eligible.

Steve Webb: The most recent estimates of take-up cover the period 2009-10. Figures for the number of pensioners entitled to but not receiving pension credit in Great Britain in 2009-10 are presented below:
	
		
			 Caseload take-up for pension credit, Great Britain, 2009-10 
			  Range of entitled non-recipients (Thousand) Take-up ranges (%) 
			 2009-10 1,210 : 1,580 62 : 68 
		
	
	The Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up report covers Great Britain for the financial year 2009-10. It provides caseload and expenditure estimates of take-up for income support and employment and support allowance (income-related), pension credit, housing benefit (including local housing allowance), council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based). The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 10 June 2010. The figures are available online and can be found here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=irb

Personal Independence Payment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the effects will be of personal independence payment reform on people in receipt of carer's allowance by 2018.

Esther McVey: Latest available information shows that there are over 1 million people with an established entitlement to Carer's Allowance (CA)(1). The Department has made information concerning the effect of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) on people in receipt of CA in October 2015 available on its website.
	(1) DWP Longitudinal Study, February 2012.
	Latest estimates project there will be a net reduction of 9,000 recipients of CA (where benefit is in payment) by the end of 2018 as a consequence of reassessment for PIP.

Poverty: Disability

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and (b) the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill on the number of disabled people living in relative poverty.

Steve Webb: holding answer 6 February132013
	Impact assessments have been published for Welfare Reform Act policies where impacts have been identified and have been updated where impacts have changed.
	The Government strongly believes that looking at relative income in isolation is not a helpful measure for tracking progress on poverty, which is why the Government is currently consulting on a measure of child poverty that will better reflect the reality of living in poverty in the UK today. More information is provided in the answer given to the hon. Member for Kingswood (Chris Skidmore) on 15 January 2013, Official Report, columns 715-7W (PQ 137238). In relation to the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill, we have protected disability and carer benefits wherever possible by ensuring that the main rates of disability living allowance, attendance allowance and carer's allowance will be up-rated in line with inflation. In addition, the premiums paid to disabled people receiving working-age income-related benefits, the disability elements in tax credits, and the support component of employment and support allowance will all similarly be up-rated in line with inflation.
	We estimate that around an extra 50,000 disabled individuals will be considered to be in poverty under the relative income measure as a result of the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill. We also estimate that the average change for households containing a disabled person will be around -£3 a week.
	As earnings growth and inflation projections change these estimates will change. For example, the recession led to a fall in the relative poverty line, which had the effect of lifting 300,000 children out of relative poverty. These impacts are not forecasts of the level of poverty and do not indicate what will happen to trends over time. It is misleading to look at the impacts of up-rating in isolation.
	Note
	Poverty figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000

Rented Housing: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the flexibility of the housing rental market in rural Wales in response to the consequences of his planned introduction of the under occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: Data to do a full assessment of the flexibility of the housing market in rural Wales to respond to the consequences of the measure are not available.
	The impacts that have been estimated for Wales indicate that a number of options are available to recipients of housing benefit who are affected, although how individuals will respond is not yet known.
	The measure will be monitored and evaluated over the next two years and this will include small scale primary research with a range of local authorities, social landlords and voluntary organisations, including those in Wales. As part of this supply issues and rural factors will be examined.
	The initial report will be available in 2014. The final report will be published in late 2015.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will (a) bring forward legislative proposals and (b) amend his Department's guidance so that the Social Security Regulations apply to all 12 living or mobility activities.

Esther McVey: We have always been clear that a key principle of the personal independence payment assessment is that it should include a consideration of whether individuals can complete activities in a manner that is safe, repeatable, to an acceptable standard and timely. We do not feel that this principle has to be included in the legislation to be effective. However, recognising the strength of feeling in relation to this key protection, the Government has agreed to include it in regulations. We will lay amending regulations making this change, once the current regulations have been made and before the PIP regulations come into force from 8 April.
	This will apply to all 10 daily living and two mobility activities in the personal independence payment assessment.
	A draft of the amending regulation is available on the DWP website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/disability/personal-independence-payment/the-assessment-criteria

State Retirement Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are currently earning benefits in the second state pension which would result in a state-provided pension greater than £144 if they retired after 2017 under the current proposals to move to a single tier pension.

Steve Webb: Individuals who have a national insurance record of more than the full single-tier pension at the point of implementation will get the full level of the single-tier pension, and keep any amount above this as a ‘protected payment' when they reach state pension age.
	Those currently earning benefits in the state second pension are likely to reach state pension age over the course of the next half century. Of those reaching state pension age between 2017 and 2060, the latest year for which we project outcomes, the Department's modelling suggests that around 5% will receive a full single-tier pension and a ‘protected payment’.
	Source:
	DWP modelling based on PENSIM2

Telephone Services

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the potential cost to the public purse of making public contact numbers operated by his Department a 0345 prefix service;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the feasibility of making public contact telephone numbers operated by his Department a 0345 prefix service.

Mark Hoban: It is feasible to migrate DWP contact numbers to an 0345 prefix. Based on current charging arrangements, our analysis shows that the impacts of such a change would be increased call costs for many callers and additional costs to DWP of around £2 million per annum. There would also be significant operational costs to support an initial transition to the new numbers. We will review our numbering strategy on receipt of Ofcom's final report following their consultation on non-geographic call charges, which is understood to be due for publication in March. Any changes to the current approach will need careful consideration given the impacts on costs to the Department and its customers.

Travel and Subsistence Payments

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many senior officials in his Department's arm's-length bodies (a) have and (b) have had during 2012-13 terms of employment that specify that their main place of employment is their home address and that they are entitled to claim travel and subsistence expenses for visiting the offices of the arm's-length body.

Mark Hoban: No senior officials in this Department's arm's length bodies have or have had during 2012-13 terms of employment that specify that their main place of employment is their home address.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people diagnosed with or suffering from any of the following conditions (a) being both blind and deaf, (b) being registered blind, (c) Alzheimer's, (d) amputation of both legs, (e) Asperger's, (f) autistic spectrum disorder and autism, (g) cerebral palsy, (h) dementia, (i) hemiplegia, (j) Huntingdon's Chorea, (k) Korsakoff's psychosis, (l) requiring a Macmillan nurse attending, (m) motor neurone disease, (n) the need to be on oxygen, (o) paraplegia, (p) quadraplegia renal dialysis, (q) severe mental impairment, (r) severe learning difficulty, (s) spastic diplega, (t) tetraplegia, (u) total parenteral nutrition, (v) unstable angina and (w) Wernicke's encephalopathy underwent a work capability assessment at an Atos centre in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2013.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the number of face-to-face initial work capability assessments by primary medical condition reported for selected medical conditions completed in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Data for 2012 covers assessments completed between January to August 2012, the latest data available.
	
		
			 Number of initial WCAs completed by medical condition and year of assessment 
			 Health Condition 2010 2011 2012 
			 Unspecified dementia 90 40 30 
			 Alcohol related disorders (including Korsakoff's psychosis) 11,080 8,340 6,390 
			 Autistic spectrum disorder and autism (including Asperger's) 700 550 460 
			 Huntingdon's Chorea 90 50 30 
			 Spinal muscular atrophy and related syndromes (including Motor Neurone Disease) 50 30 10 
			 Alzheimer's 40 40 20 
			 Cerebral palsy (including spastic diplega) 450 360 240 
			 Hemiplegia 70 50 20 
			 Flaccid paraplegia (including paraplegia and tetraplegia) 70 50 40 
			 Angina pectoris (including unstable angina) 2,080 1,460 1,110 
			 Note: Rounding: All volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration datasets. 
		
	
	Categories where there are no recorded cases, or where data is not available, have been omitted from the table.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cost to his Department of appeals against the work capability assessment between April and September 2012.

Mark Hoban: For the first half of 2012-13 financial year (April to September) for the cost of appeals related to work capability assessment is £11.3 million for DWP in respect of staff costs of employment support allowance and incapacity benefit reassessment appeals.

Abortion

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that doctors and licensed abortion clinics do not intentionally misreport the reasons for which abortions are being performed;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the Eurocat Report on misreporting by doctors of the grounds upon which abortions are performed; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: An abortion may only take place on grounds under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended. Anyone operating outside of the Act is committing a criminal offence and will be reported to the appropriate authorities. Ultimately, it is for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to prosecute individuals and for the courts to determine whether there has been a breach of the law on abortion.
	In February 2012, the Chief Medical Officer wrote to everyone involved in providing and commissioning treatment for the termination of pregnancy about the need to comply fully with all the requirements of the Abortion Act.
	Regarding the statistics published in the Eurocat Report and potential discrepancies with the abortion statistics published by the Department of Health, we have no evidence that doctors are misreporting abortions, and the discrepancies in the data are in part due to the way the various statistics are compiled. Eurocat have issued a statement to say that their data has been interpreted incorrectly. For example, departmental statistics on fetal abnormality are compiled and published based on the principal medical condition, while Eurocat report all counts of a specific medical condition. We are looking further at other possible reasons for the differences in published statistics.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the downgrade of Lewisham accident and emergency department on the role of King’s College Hospital as a major trauma centre in the event of a major or regional disaster.

Anna Soubry: The trust special administrator’s report made clear that there should be an additional £37 million of investment at Kings and the three other hospitals so that they are properly resourced to take on the additional activity from Lewisham. No transfer of activity will take place without work to increase capacity having taken place across all four sites. Providers will need to develop business cases which will refine their requirements. The final decisions on funding for each individual hospital will be worked through as part of the implementation planning process, in collaboration with the Department to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the World Health Organization's classification of chronic fatigue syndrome as a neurological disease; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) classifies chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) under neurological disorders at Reference 93.3 and uses the terms post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVS) and benign myalgic encephalomyelitis. The Department accepts this classification and recognises CFS/ME as a neurological condition of unknown origin.
	As the symptoms of CFS/ME resemble those of other forms of debilitating illness, we acknowledge that it is not easy to diagnose single cases of the condition. Clinicians are responsible, within their area of competence, for diagnosing medical conditions and it is not the Department's policy to advise the medical profession on clinical practice.

Food

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the performance of NHS staff in monitoring whether patients are able to eat and drink independently.

Daniel Poulter: It is right that patients should be treated with dignity and respect. They have the right to expect food that is of high quality and that is nutritious. There are many hospitals already achieving high standards in food and nutrition.
	Patients should expect to receive food and drink that is nutritious and appetising, from a varied menu that includes suitable options for vegetarians and those with religious needs. Food and drink should be available to all patients at all times, unless it contradicts clinical advice.
	In October 2012, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), announced new standards setting out what patients should expect from national health service hospital food and drink. Following the piloting at a small sample, of hospitals, a set of basic principles covering the quality of food and nutritional content will be introduced from April 2013.
	Teams of assessors, half of whom must be patients, will conduct patient-led assessments (PLACE) of the care environment. This will consider cleanliness, privacy and dignity as well as the state of the hospital environment in general.
	Hospitals will be marked down if food is poor quality, if menus do not have suitable options for patients with special requirements, and if hot meals are not provided in the evenings. Hospitals will receive a rating on each area, and the results will be published online.
	Patients deserve the highest quality of care and hospitals should be prepared to regularly evaluate their food service. Through patient-led assessments, we will identify good practice and put people at the heart of improving the NHS.

Horses: Slaughterhouses

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether horse carcasses which have been tested for the presence of phenylbutazone at the point of slaughter will be detained until the results have been returned.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) collects samples from horses to be tested for phenylbutazone as part of two different surveys, the statutory veterinary residue surveillance scheme and the FSA survey.
	The United Kingdom has in place a statutory veterinary residue surveillance scheme in fulfilment of its obligations under council directives 96/22/EC and 96/23/EC and (EC) 854/2004, Annex I, Chapter II, F. This programme helps to ensure that consumers are protected against potentially harmful residues of veterinary medicines. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is responsible for the co-ordination and management of the UK programme. The FSA undertakes the collection of samples from approved slaughterhouses under contract to the VMD. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development carries out the collection of samples. The scheme is a targeted scheme with no requirement for the carcases to be held until sample results have been released.
	Currently, the FSA is conducting a 100% survey at approved slaughterhouses for residues of phenylbutazone in horses submitted for slaughter with passports confirming they are not exempt from entering the food chain. The survey currently is not requiring carcases to be held pending test results but the FSA is finalising arrangements to move to a positive release scheme whereby the horse carcases will be held pending negative results at which time the carcases will be released and allowed to enter the human food chain.

Hospital Wards: Dorset

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason a ward at St Leonard's Hospital, Ferndown, Dorset has not been reopened to help meet the current pressure on beds at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: This is a matter for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust.
	We have written to the Foundation Trusts' Chairs, Jane Stichbury and Jonathan Walsh, informing them of your inquiry. The Foundation Trusts will reply shortly and copies of the correspondence will be placed in the Library.

University Hospital Lewisham

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been set aside by his Department to reconfigure the estate at University Hospital Lewisham in order to make it into an elective care centre.

Anna Soubry: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has accepted the Trust Special Administrator's broad recommendations, including the three-year implementation plan set out in his final report.
	The report identifies £55.9 million of capital expenditure required to develop University Hospital Lewisham into an elective centre. Final decisions on funding will be worked through as part of the implementation planning process, in collaboration with the Department to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of evidence from the Herchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property at the University of Cambridge on the potential effects on education, cultural establishments and business of the repeal of section 52 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Jo Swinson: No such assessment has been made.
	The Government continues to have discussions with concerned parties on the potential effects of the repeal.

Electronic Commerce

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what representations the Government has received from the IT industry in the framing of its policy on e-commerce on (a) allowing small businesses to connect to a wider market place and (b) other matters;
	(2)  what steps the Government has taken to assist small businesses in adopting (a) websites, (b) secure payment processes, (c) anti-fraud measures and (d) other e-commerce tools for the purpose of assuring connectivity to a wider market place.

Michael Fallon: The Department is currently in dialogue with the IT industry as part of preparing the industrial strategy for the Information Economy which is expected to cover a variety of issues including e-commerce. The Department, in conjunction with UKTI, DCMS, Go On UK and corporate organisations is developing a public/private sector collaborative programme that will raise awareness among small businesses of the importance of the internet to business growth and furnish them with capabilities to exploit the internet and associated technologies, including addressing issues such as digital marketing, transacting on-line and cyber security. This will supplement the material already available on the
	www.gov.uk
	website.

Industrial Disputes: Shrewsbury

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) files and (b) other records relating to the case of the Shrewsbury 24 have been (i) retained by Government departments and (ii) transferred to the National Archives but have not yet been released.

Jeremy Wright: The Government does not hold a single list of files or records on this subject.
	It is for individual Government Departments holding any relevant papers falling within the scope of the “security and intelligence instrument” to decide whether they wish to rely on it to retain them. The role of the Lord Chancellor is to sign the instrument on the basis of assessments from individual Departments, and as provided for in the Public Records Act 1958. Successive Lord Chancellors have signed such an instrument since the first was agreed in 1967.
	The National Archives' catalogue shows that it holds a number of files directly related to the “Shrewsbury 24”, including J 182 pieces 9-51, PREM 16/947 and DPP 2/5185. Files J 182/9-51 and DPP 2/5185 are open to public access. PREM 16/947 is also open to public access with the exception of information from four documents which has been retained by the Cabinet Office.
	It is possible that information relevant to this case may be in other records held by The National Archives but, because they do not primarily relate to the case, are not identified as such in The National Archives' catalogue. For this reason it is not possible to say precisely how many of those files have been transferred as closed.

Legal Aid Scheme

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2012, Official Report, column 702W, on legal aid: Asil Nadir, and the answer to the hon. Member for Walsall South of 11 December 2012, Official Report, column 207W, on Abu Qatada, whether his Department will provide the total amount of legal aid his Department has spent to date in respect of Asil Nadir.

Jeremy Wright: A total of £1,056,588.96 in legal aid funding has been provided by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) in relation to the trial of Asil Nadir. These costs are subject to change pending LSC approval of further payments to solicitors and barristers, as well as the costs appeals process.

Probation

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to ensure that private and independent sector providers of offender services will be subject to (a) the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and (b) other public scrutiny of their work as public sector providers of services as part of his policy of outsourcing probation services.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice is consulting on proposals to reform the way in which offenders are rehabilitated in the community, including opening up rehabilitation services to a more diverse range of providers.
	The Government's position on extending the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 to non-public sector providers of public services is set out in its response to the Justice Committee's July 2012 report, ‘Post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000’. In that response, in line with the recommendation of the Justice Committee, we proposed that contracts with non-public sector service providers should be used and enforced to ensure that Freedom of Information obligations are met. The Government response also says that a code of practice will be issued to guide public authorities and their contractors in ensuring an appropriate degree of voluntary transparency beyond the minimum requirements of FOIA.
	The consultation paper states that it will be important that HM Inspectorate of Probation plays a role in independently inspecting offender management and the work done by providers in all sectors, ensuring that standards are upheld and helping to support continuous improvements in practice. We have sought consultees’ views on what this role should be.